Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s agent hints at interest in former manager’s Chelsea star | Soccer

Long on the fringes of Chelsea’s first-team, the 26-year-old made his first-team debut in 2014 but has since struggled to hold his own under a string of managers.

Last season was indeed his most productive in terms of appearances for the Blues, with 40 appearances in all competitions and 13 Premier League starts.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel might not want to let him go but agent Jonathan Barnett says former Blues manager Sarri is definitely interested in him at Lazio.

“As far as I know, Lazio have not spoken to Chelsea but Maurizio Sarri is a fan of Ruben [Loftus-Cheek] and he likes Serie A,” Barnett told II Messaggero. ‘Lets see what happens.’

Loftus-Cheek has two years left on his contract at Stamford Bridge so the club aren’t under any immediate pressure to sell, but they may want to cash in now before his value starts to decline towards the end of his deal.

Speaking of the England international in April, Tuchel said: “We talk a lot about that – that he’s still gifted to be here and it’s still a great opportunity. He has everything you need, otherwise he wouldn’t play and we wouldn’t count on him.

“But he’s been hearing that for so many years that maybe he’s heard it too many times, at the whole academy level and in all the loans. Everyone was telling him how good the potential is and how great the future can be, but the future is only there if you live up to it in the present.

“He has to trust himself. With him it is absolutely not about self-overestimation, on the contrary. He must have physical confidence in his body and also in his ability to do it not once or twice but 10 or 20 times in a row.

“It’s small steps, and it might sound like far too small steps given the potential and what’s in there, given the feats he can make, but it really isn’t. This is the only way he can take these small steps, grow in self-confidence and finally become the player he can be.”

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